The Steel Player Was A...What?

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 2 Oct 2023 6:42 am

Played an hour & a half set of original and cover honkytonk at the Bethel Woods Center (site of Woodstock 1969....not the actual hill but part of the whole festival grounds). Beautiful outdoor harvest festival setting. Fun family setting with food tents as far as the eye could see. We were to be followed by another band. I'd looked them up, getting my info from a Bethel poster. Didn't know them but they did have a steel player.

Near the end of our set the next band was loading their gear to the side of the stage. I saw one guy who I decided had to be the steel player (absolutely no good reason. I just decided.) So for the last couple of songs I really bore down and played extra tight (not fancy -- I don't have much fancy in my tool box). We finished and hustled getting our stuff off stage. Then I watched as the steel guy set up. His damned keyboard. They weren't carrying a steel player. I played good for a keyboard player.
The horror!

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 2 Oct 2023 7:08 am

The more serious take away from this was: I was a bit stressed to discover that I'd be playing for another steel player. Not 'losing sleep' stress by a long shot but still, some energy went there.

Note to self: why?

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 2 Oct 2023 10:33 am

Jon Light wrote:

Note to self: why?

The fear of being seen as a player of less skill than another in direct comparison.

It's a very common malady. Don't worry about it. Just practice more.

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 2 Oct 2023 11:05 am

Rhetorical Q but thanks Herb.

David Ball · Post by **David Ball** » 2 Oct 2023 12:52 pm

I've always been a bit self conscious when playing in front of other players too. But when you have one of those players come up afterwards and give you a thumbs up, it feels good.

I've been mostly a banjo guy for 50 years or more. Several years back, I was teaching at a banjo camp, when I had Sonny Osborne show up as a student (I play mostly clawhammer, and Sonny wanted to learn more about that--he was also teaching at the camp).

Talk about self conscious! But Sonny and I did some one on one, and he was a true gentleman. I think he learned some things--he at least acted like he did. Nice visit at any rate.

Dave

Brett Day · Post by **Brett Day** » 3 Oct 2023 1:45 pm

I never will forget an experience I had where I'd played in front of one of my heroes, and didn't know what his reaction would be while I was playing. I was playing the 2004 NTSGA show in Nashville, and one of the steel guitarists on the schedule was John Hughey-it was four years after John and I became friends. I'd been a fan of John's steel work with Vince for quite a few years, and when I was confirmed to play the show, I'd decided to play instrumental versions of "Cold Cold Heart(Hank Williams) and "Look At Us". I somehow got the courage to tell John that I was gonna play "Look At Us", but on the way to where his table was set up, I kept thinking, is he gonna like it or is he not gonna like it", so when I got to his table, I told him I was gonna play "Look At Us", and he said, "I wanna hear you play it". So, after Russ Hicks and I finished the last song, which was "Look At Us", I got up from my steel, walked offstage and went over to John's table,and he looked at me and said, "You nailed it, man"! I was so glad he liked hearing me play the song!

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 3 Oct 2023 2:33 pm

Isn't that where they hold Gray Fox every year. Nice location .

Jon Light · Post by **Jon Light** » 3 Oct 2023 2:59 pm

No -- this is the Yasgur's Farm site near Monticello, borscht belt.
This stage is a few hundred yards from where Richie was strumming.